According to the French labor inspector’s office, the cause of the 14 suicides at France Telecom is

For some, the wave of suicides at France Telecom reveals the downsides of the scramble to stay competitive amid the pressures of globalization and the recent economic downturn. More than 40 France Telecom employees have taken their lives since 2008. Unions say that includes a dozen suicides this year alone.
    The probe by the Paris prosecutor’s office follows a court complaint filed by the union Solidaires Unitaires Democratic(SUD). Union lawyer Jean-Paul Tessionniere blamed working conditions at the company for the suicides.
    A February report by the French labor inspector’s office linked 14 France Telecom suicides directly to the company’s management practices.
    France Telecom denies its management practices have led to the suicides. France Telecom lawyer Claudia Chemarin told French television that each suicide will be examined individually. She said that under no condition can it be claimed that there was an organized policy that led to them.
    In March, France Telecom’s new boss Stephane Richard outlined ways the company planned to improve employee working conditions.
    France Telecom is not the only French company grappling with employee suicides. But because of the numbers of employee deaths and the media attention they have attracted, critics say France Telecom’s problems have emerged as a warning story about the downsides of valuing productivity and growth over employee well being.